Eight years ago today, terrorists attacked the United States of America.

Does anyone remember?

Anyone?

It is with some dismay that I learned former NYC mayor Ed Koch is in the hospital, awaiting major heart surgery. Mr. Koch is one of those outsized personalities that make New York City the place that it is. He is a unique character in the pantheon of famous politicians. I remember my earliest days living in the City when Koch was mayor. He did a difficult job with panache, never shied from issuing his opinion, and stood up for a city that many others were all to happy to bemoan. He also has a good sense of the man in the street, the average person who lives a regular life, which is a sensibility that is claimed by rarely present in modern leaders.

So, get well, Mr. Mayor! (And since I won’t be around this December let me say happy birthday number 85 now.)

I attended Book Expo America this year, if for no other reason, to get a glimpse of the publishing industry’s changes. Publishing endured some wrenching upheavals in the previous 12 months. There have been consolidations among companies, staff reductions, and title suspensions to name a few. There has also been an increased presence of the electronic readers such as Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s reader. Still, there are plenty of paper books out there. Here I am at the Spanish publishing pavilion where some fine examples of printing could be seen.

A Spanish printing company displayed their version of medieval texts, printed and bound seemingly as they were several hundred years ago. It was impressive, but no photos allowed. Books have been growing in popularity in Spain, and I look forward to seeing my own work translated into Spanish soon. Many of my characters are Spanish speakers, from Colombia or elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking world.

That’s me up there, grinning like a fool to be among the printed pages. Couldn’t help myself, really, standing in the middle of so many books and people interested in the same. Trade shows are a natural opportunity to network, do business, and gauge trends. At the same time, it’s simply fun to be among like minded souls. Relax and enjoy it.

While at Book Expo America, I attended a little talk that included John Irving. I’ve read several of Irving’s books, and with rare exception, find them insightful and enthralling. Here you see Irving on the video screen.

The Cider House Rules and A Widow For One Year are at the top of my list of Irving books. I’ve read both of them twice, although it has been a long time since those readings. Listening to Irving talk about story telling and his take on the content of his own books was fascinating. It’s a rare opportunity to hear an author speak in person and thus get their opinions unfiltered by the likes of reporters or TV talking heads.

Keep reading. It’s good for you.

…before the staff at Rockefeller Center has the ice skating rink set up and ready for visitors.

As you can see from the photo above, they’re hard at work. This is something residents and tourists alike love to do. Enjoy! (I’ll be in Aruba under the lower-latitude sun, working on my relaxed attitude.)

St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City is one place where you can step out of the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple. Within its walls, you’ll find a modicum of peace and quiet. Just like the photographs of the stained glass windows I took in Spain, I always try to get a few shots of the ones in St. Patrick’s.

Years ago, when I was in film school, I took a number of black and white shots inside the cathedral. This was in the days before the digital darkroom. There were chemicals, enlargers, and actual film. I enjoyed that kind of work. Hours spent in the darkroom helped improve my photography in the field. Today, I use a consumer digital camera, snapping shots for this blog and other general documentary purposes. It serves the purpose and the quality of the output is actually good when considering the cost, time, and effort put into it. It truly is “easy.”

The shots of these stained glass windows came out good considering the cathedral is dark compared to the brightness of the sun shining through the window. This is a challenge for an automatic camera. Of course, you’re not able to correct the perspective or expose as well as you could with a manual camera. Nonetheless, the images are bright and clear, especially on a computer monitor. Another advantage is weight; my old manual cameras are heavy and cumbersome. Whenever I would set them up, people get intimidated or think you’re out to make a fortune on their image. Sorry, not quite, just an advance hobbyist having some fun. With the consumer cameras, I rarely encounter that problem.

Anyway, we were in St. Patrick’s. In here I always show proper respect for people praying or a service that may be in progress. After all, this is an important place of worship. I’m impressed by the devotion of the people who come here. I’ve seen everyone among the pews, from business people at lunch time to tourists from around the world. Some people light a candle for someone in need, or say a quick prayer before their saint of choice. Either way, it is interesting to observe.

One final note, at the time of this writing, the exterior of St. Patrick’s is undergoing some work. There is scaffolding set up around the main entrance on 5th Avenue. The cathedral is open, but the exterior photos may not be as pleasant as you would like.

In the wake of natural disasters, urban sprawl, and neighborhood renewal, there are smart people coming up with new ideas for housing.  A recent exhibit in New York City’s Museum of Modern Art, revealed some of these concepts including this tiny example, a 76 square food house.

The place is big enough for one. It features all the amenities of any normal house: bathroom, kitchen, sleeping area, dining area. There’s less space than you’re typical tugboat cabin; I can confirm that. But it is functional. Here are two more examples as seen from above.

The one in the foreground is very much like a shipping container. It can be combined with similar sized units to expand the living area. At the same time, it is economical to transport given it’s standard size. The one in the background was rather bizarre in that it featured a unique construction method using cut plywood shapes. It had an organic feel to it on the inside but nothing I’d want to live in. Then there was this cottage which also used die-cut plywood shapes to allow for easy assembly.

The way the shapes are assembled gives the walls tremendous strength. It’s also easy to transport as all the pieces can be cut at the factory, shipped flat, and put together on site with less skilled labor than a traditionally built home.

These type of exhibits get your mind going, which is why I try to take them in every time I’m in New York.

While in New York City yesterday, I happened upon The Treats Truck on 38th Street at 5th Avenue. Not one to pass up a meal, dessert, or other stomach filling substance, I checked it out.

As you can see from the photo above, I had to wait in line. This type of thing is what I like about New York. Right on the street, literally, you’ll find great food. In this case, it’s brownies and other sweets. Of course you’ll also encounter every type of food from a cart or truck that you can imagine. Let’s take a closer look at what’s on offer here:

Nice cookies! The hardest part is deciding which one you’d like. Buy a couple, maybe three. What could happen? With all the walking I do in NYC, I don’t worry about putting on the pounds. As you might imagine, I treated myself to an ice-cold Coca Cola after this, then went about my day.

Next time you’re in NYC, don’t be afraid to try the food from the “roach coaches.” You might be impressed.

The Vesuvio Bakery in New York City has got to be one of the best in the city. It’s in SoHo and got on my list of go-to places for high quality carbs after my other place, Zito’s on Bleeker Street closed. (Zito used to make a prusciuto bread that would knock your taste buds out!) Here’s a look at Vesuvio’s front window on Prince Street.

You may have seen a post card of this shot, taken in winter time. If not, let’s go in for a closer examination of the breads on offer.

Holy-carbo-overload-moly! Yeah, that and imagine how good this place smells. Warm bread, fresh from the oven, sesame seed overtones. Delicious! Enough to make your stomach do flips. I always like this photo that is propped in the front window, too.

Proud owner and his children from days gone buy. Talk about the American dream, and still going strong. Places like this and the previously posted Murray’s Cheese Shop are just one of the million things that make New York City the great city that it is.

If you have a hankering for cheese, any kind of cheese, there is one place in New York City where you’re most likely to find something to scratch the itch: Murray’s on Bleeker Street. Located between 6th and 7th Avenues, where Cornelia Street ends at Bleeker, you’ll find this NYC institution, which is shown below.

The shop used to be located across the street on a corner, so this is technically the “new” location. No matter. The people inside know their cheese. When you pass through the door, your nose is attacked by any number of stomach growling scents. Mice the world over dream of making a pilgrimage to this spot. Take a look at just one of the cases inside and you’ll see why.

There are things in there that I can not even begin to pronounce. My stomach doesn’t really care so long as a sample is to be had. Due to the volume of business Murray’s does, the cheese is always fresh. They are constantly receiving new varieties from all over the world, not to mention more locally produced artisan-types. Just take a look at the wheels shown in this photo:

Wow! If sight of that doesn’t make you think about eating, ask someone to check your pulse. So, even if you’re just passing through NYC, stop in for a slice of this or that to enjoy. Yes, there is a bakery a few doors down. Get some bread, some cheese, maybe some wine… you’re good to go.

What’s your favorite culinary emporium? Mention it here and photos, too, please.